Part of the fantasy trilogy, this first book begins Lyra Belacqua’s journey to discover the meaning of “dust” and her role in the struggle against evil that threatens to destroy the universe. Listening to this complicated tale with its multitude of unfamiliar names, places and words is a challenge. Case’s rendering is fairly successful as he differentiates each character’s voice--no mean feat given the number of characters--and, for the most part, he manages to keep them all straight. The least effective part of the recording is the narrative. The clipped diction, which emphasizes the final consonants, sounds very upper crust and snooty. Performance aside, this book is particularly difficult in audio form unless the listener has read the print version first.
(Fiction. 12+)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1997
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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